When parents divorce, it can be difficult for them to agree on custody arrangements. These disagreements often lead to long legal battles that can have lasting impacts on the children involved. However, the best way to avoid these complications is by establishing a child custody arrangement through a well-drafted parenting plan. Having a skilled Pensacola Florida Child Custody Lawyer on your side can ensure that the final parenting plan is in your child’s best interests.
Our experienced family law attorneys are well-versed in all aspects of Florida child custody laws and will help you establish a parenting plan that best suits the needs of your child. Typically, this will include both a “time-sharing” schedule and parental responsibilities. “Time-sharing” refers to how long each parent spends with the child, while parental responsibilities refer to decision making areas such as health, education, extracurricular activities and other daily living matters. Our lawyers will also work to address issues such as child support and visitation rights.
The court will determine the best possible parenting plan for your child after evaluating several factors, including both parents’ abilities to provide a safe and loving environment. In addition, the court will look at any other relevant circumstances, such as domestic violence or alcohol addiction, and may also consider any evidence of infidelity during the marriage. In many cases, parents are able to reach a mutual agreement on a time-sharing and parental-responsibility plan without the need for a court intervention. However, when mutual consent is unable to be reached, the court will create a detailed parenting plan that aligns with the child’s best interests.
In Florida, both moms and dads are entitled to shared parenting rights. However, the courts may award sole decision-making authority to one parent if it believes that joint decision-making would be detrimental to the child’s welfare. In this case, that parent will be known as the “custodial parent.”
Aside from custody, a parenting plan can address issues such as visitation rights for the non-custodial parent, holidays, provisions for extracurricular activities, child care, education and other financial matters. Our attorneys are also skilled in calculating and enforcing child support obligations.
Having the right attorney on your side can help you to avoid long, complicated legal battles that are damaging to both you and your child. If you have questions about child custody or any other family law issue, contact us today to schedule a consultation with our Pensacola Florida Family Law Team. Our firm has been rated by Super Lawyers, which is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is based on peer nominations, independent research, and a rigorous evaluation of accomplishments. Only 5% of lawyers in the state are selected to receive this honor each year. Our family law attorneys will guide you through the entire legal process, and work hard to achieve a favorable outcome to your case.